Kandahar, Aug 2 (IANS) Police in south Afghanistan's Kandahar province have uncovered 240 kg of illicit drugs, including opium poppy, and dismantled a drug lab, provincial police spokesperson Mawlawi Asadullah Jamshid announced on Friday.

During operations in the Shorabak district on Thursday, three individuals were arrested while attempting to transport the drugs to another location within the province. The suspects have been referred to the judiciary for further investigation and possible legal proceedings.

In addition, police discovered and dismantled a drug lab in the Ghorak district of Kandahar. During the search operations, a substantial quantity of materials used in the production of heroin was seized, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Afghan caretaker government banned poppy cultivation, drug processing, and trafficking in April 2022.